Fading Light of Almia
by Riley Sky
Summary: When Operation Brighton's over, the danger isn't quite over yet. Though Darkrai and Almia were saved, it came at a heavy toll. The rangers, pokemon and almia worry as they wait for the outcome. There's nothing left to do but pray for a miracle. Keith learns what true terror is and has to realize his feelings before it's too late. one-shot


**Hey guys! I love Shadows of Almia, one of my favorite games ever. And doing fanfics is awesome for me! There is a longer fanfic I'm doing of Almia's rangers (aka Keith and Kate) but I also wanted to do a short one for fun. Writers block since the longer version and my other two fanfics have been stuck for a bit. Note; this fanfic doesn't relate to the other version.**

**Ok…ahem. This takes place a little after the climax of Operation Brighton when Kate was on top of the tower. Danger isn't over quite yet. Keith faces the one thing he fears most of all. The whole region of Almia's in shock. All that's left to do is hope for the best…**

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Keith landed the staraptor onto the top of the Altru building, just seconds after letting his gem circle the Shadow Crystal on its own. He raced up the steps to the platform. Wendy and Sven were right behind him. Professor Hastings and Barlow were talking to Blake, aka Wyatt.

"Good job you three!" Hastings complimented. "Thanks to your flying, the Shadow Crystals become clear and full of light!"

Indeed it was. Beautiful and pure…no trace of dark shadows remained.

"Where's Kate?" Keith asked, looking around.

The last time she was seen, it was just before the entire building was shrouded in darkness. No way to communicate to her or get through the darkness itself. She had been completely alone in the chaos that surged from Darkrai.

"Hm? I haven't seen her." The professor answered, starting to look as well.

"Did she leave?" Wendy asked.

"She'd never back out on a crisis like that…" Keith muttered.

That was what made him worry. That girl would do anything to help out her friends and Almia's safety. But suppose she did something dangerous….something life threatening…?

"Not to mention the darkness cut off Altru from the world." Sven pointed out.

"Barlow and I will escort Blake…no…Wyatt, down to ground. Once we have him taken away for questioning, we'll organize a search for Kate." Hastings instructed.

"We'll look around up here." Sven told him.

But Keith bolted before he even finished. He instead searched around the giant, now broken, machine that held the crystal. His eyes darted everywhere at once. Each passing second added more panic. Where could Kate be?

Now all three top rangers were calling her name. No reply. Could Kate have been permanently trapped in darkness? Sure, Wyatt was released…but Kate might've been stuck. Or did Kate fall off the tower? All the worst possible scenarios jumbled inside Keith's head. Kate was strong…but…how much could she take?

"Dammit Kate, where are you?" Keith yelled.

Keith had no idea how long he and the others searched. But he was close to a heart attack from worrying.

He came across a giant piece of metal sheet blocking the way to a far corner of the machine, the edge of the building. Despite its heavy weight, Keith managed to push it to the side. But what he saw behind it made him freeze.

"No…"

There she was. Kate lied unconscious in a crumpled heap. Her ranger uniform was tattered and the debris had damaged the styler on her wrist. Several areas on her body were bleeding profusely while dark bruises gashed most of her extremely pale skin. Kate was hurt. Severely. Obviously this was intense damage done by Darkrai itself. Kate had been trying to capture Darkrai…to befriend it and restore peace. Even if it kept trying to kill her.

Keith slowly walked over and fell to his knees beside Kate. A huge lump formed in his throat. Any breathing Keith did was in short, shaken gasps. His entire being trembled as he scooped her up into his arms. Some of her limbs felt loose. But what Keith noticed more was her body was a bit cooler than it should be. And she was barely breathing.

"Kate…" He whispered in short breaths.

Keith's eyes stung. Kate…his best friend….was dying. Blake…or Wyatt…whoever he was, had gone too far and put Kate in danger. Now her condition was horrible…terrifyingly close to dead….

With a heavy heart, Keith stood up, still carrying Kate. He had to save her. She couldn't die just yet. Her future was full of promise and light. How could Kate die before seeing the region she gave her life to save? He was not going to let this girl slip away without a fight.

Keith ran out of the corner and towards the center part of the building's rooftop. Sven and Wendy were already there and looked at Kate in horror when Keith arrived.

"Oh…no…" Wendy gasped.

"We might still be able to save her yet. Get her to the hospital immediately." Sven ordered. "I'll call them to let them know you're coming."

"Take my staraptor there. It'll be quicker." Wendy offered.

Keith nodded and charged towards the staraptor. He boarded himself and the half-gone Kate onto it. The staraptor flew off into the sky with great speed, Keith directing it towards the Pueltown Hospital.

"Come on Kate…just hang in there…a little longer please…" Keith thought.

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Waiting room.

Hour 4. Maybe 4 1/2?

But to Keith…it felt like eternity. How much more waiting could he take? How long did it take to do surgery, to pull someone out of death?

"Kate…please make it through…please…" Keith whispered, inaudible to all but himself.

Kate was his best friend… he had never been so close to anyone in his entire life….but it was something more than that. Keith understood long ago that he _liked_ her. A lot. What did he like? It was more along the lines of what didn't he like.

Keith liked her because Kate was gorgeous, especially her sparkling blue eyes. So clear, innocent, full of life. But it was also deep inside her that Keith found captivating. Her spirit was fierce, passionate and energetic. Kate was ready for action, hilarious, determined and loyal. Even Kate's stubborn, competitive, somewhat short temper side was cute. And then her sweet, caring, willing to help part of her…what a girl….

Now….now it felt like he was alone….

The girl of his dreams was in the emergency room with injuries...Keith felt helpless…

"I should've stayed down there with her…" Keith thought. "I shouldn't have gotten up on that staraptor and left her alone…."

_Ring! Ring!_

It was his styler. Keith half-heartedly accepted the call, not even bothering to check caller ID.

"Keith? Keith! Did you hear anything from the doctors? Is Kate out of surgery yet?" It was Rhythmi.

She sounded frantic and worried. Of course she would be. Kate was her best friend too.

"Not yet. I haven't heard anything since I saw her rushed into the emergency room." Keith responded.

"Really…?" Rhythmi was obviously disappointed. "…you…sure…?"

"Yeah." Keith sighed.

A long silence.

"You better call the moment you get news, Keith. I've been having non-stop panic attacks since I got news of this. If I wasn't flooded over with work, I'd race down to be with you two." Rhythmi told him.

"Alright, I promise." Keith accepted.

"You know…we're not the only ones worrying…" Rhythmi said quietly.

"I guess maybe Sven and Wendy are curious too." Keith mumbled.

"Everyone in the Ranger Union is worried sick. Your buizel and her pachirisu are scared senseless. The Vien Town rangers are calling in every 15 minutes asking for updates. Heck…the news spread all across Almia! Everyone is in a panic over this!" Rhythmi explained.

Everyone…?

"Even the celebration for the park plaza was put on hold until we all know for sure if Kate makes it or not..." Rhythmi continued, her voice trailing off near the end.

"Kate's strong, Rhythmi. I don't think she'll leave us so easily." Keith tried to cheerfully say.

He hoped it sounded convincing. At least enough to calm Rhythmi down a little. Keith himself was having a hard time trying to tell himself everything was alright.

"…..you're right." Rhythmi sighed. "I just…it's just…shocking...unbelievable. We all care about Kate and appreciate everything's she done. That sacrifice she took was…huge!"

"That's who Kate is. She cares about everyone. She's loyal to the Ranger Union." Keith smiled sadly, remembering her eagerly accept missions and adventures right off the bat.

A nurse appeared through the emergency room doors.

"I gotta go. I think there'll be news on the way. Call you back soon." Keith said, cutting off communication.

Keith stood up, nervous. He was about to ask about Kate.

"The doctor will be out in a moment." The nurse interrupted.

She walked away as Keith sat back down in his chair. One moment? Keith didn't bother looking at the clock to see how many minutes a "moment" was. It seemed even longer than the time he waited for the news.

When the doctor did come out, Keith leapt back up to his feet. He wasn't nervous that time. He was anxious, tense. This was it. Here was the news Keith and everyone in Almia would be waiting to hear.

"Well…?" was all Keith could ask.

It was the only thing he could say without breaking down.

"There was more internal damage than it appeared on the outside. Lots of stitches, several areas of broken bones, organ bruising…it gave her a lot of damage." The doctor replied.

"Is…is she….g…going to be alright…?" Keith weakly asked, waiting to hear the answer he desperately needed.

"I don't know. At this point she's barely hanging on. We've done all we can do. All that's left is wait and see what happens." The doctor answered in a low tone. "If she dies…then she dies."

Keith collapsed into the chair again. This wasn't at all what he wanted to hear.

"I'm sorry." The doctor started to walk away. "The nurse will be here in a few minutes if you want to see the girl."

There was no question about it. Keith wanted to see her. Had to. There was no way he'd miss that chance.

All that was left to do until he'd be lead up there was to call Rhythmi again and tell her. If only Keith knew what to say…

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"I'm sorry about all this…"

Keith looked over at the nurse as they walked down the hallway. He had been too busy remembering how upset Rhythmi had been. Everyone was probably still anxious over whether Kate would live or die.

"The doctor was trying really hard to save that girl…Kate." The nurse told him. "We were so grateful for what she's done and we felt we had to save her life in return."

"I understand." Keith said with a nod, trying to sound cheerful (unsuccessfully).

They paused in front of a door. Keith could feel it. That was Kate's room.

"I'll leave you to it." The nurse opened the door.

Keith walked in. His eyes widened in terror.

There she was. Lying dreadfully still on the hospital bed. Bandaged and stitched up, with all sorts of machines nearby. A heart rate monitor slowly beeped nearby. She seemed even paler somehow. It was worse than Keith imagined. Like his worst nightmare come alive…

One step…two more slow steps…then a dash straight to her bedside. Keith hardly heard the door close as he stared at the almost lifeless Kate.

"Oh Kate…" He murmured. "Please don't go…"

If only there was something he could do…

Like crush that jerk Blake/Wyatt Hall. Whether he was under some sort of nightmare or not, Keith wanted to pulverize that jerk for putting Kate's life in danger. If Keith even saw a Dim Sun underling, they'd black and blue all over with a big splash of red.

"Come on, Kate…you need to see Almia again from the lookout point in Vien Forest. You brought a dawn of peace. All the pokemon are so happy again…"Keith stroked her cheek.

She still felt a bit chill. It took an amazing amount of strength not to slip away so quickly…Keith admired her for that. Kate really was strong. But how long could she hover between life and death?

"Everyone wants to see you again. We're all waiting for you to wake up and start smiling." Keith went on. "You know…you're a great friend and everyone cares about you so much."

The styler ringed again. But Keith shut the call off.

"You're the best ranger we've got. Better than me even. I'll admit it to the world if you stay." Keith promised. "Don't go Kate…please don't. There's so much adventure ahead and things to do. We still need you."

_I_ still need you…that's what Keith really meant.

Keith was terrified of losing her. But here he was…on what could be Kate's deathbed during her what might be final moments…

Keith held her hand, saying nothing for awhile. All the emotions he kept inside were starting to be stronger than him. A sob or two escaped from his breaths.

All the memories flooded back.

"_Hey, new kid! Forgot your name but let's have a contest! A bidoof catching contest!"_

"_You're on, redhead!"_

From ranger school training days….

"_Operation Brighton's gonna be victorious! You'll see! I won't let ya down!"_

…all the way up to the mission Operation Brighton….

"Come on! Race ya to Union Base!"

Keith gave her a hard time when they were back in school. Even as a top ranger, he had to admit he was an arrogant hot-shot still. But Kate had helped him countless times, including the time he was kidnapped and held hostage.

Though he wasn't sure when he did, Keith had promised himself to protect Kate as well. Like taking the hit the Magmortar meant for her, even at costing the yellow gem. Or swooping in to save her from the darkness. But it was the small stuff too like hearing her laugh or helping with quests.

Yet this time…he wasn't able to fulfill that promise…he failed her…

"Kate…" Keith whispered. "I….I love you…"

He was starting to lose it. Shedding even a few tears wasn't manly at all. But it was all he could do as he sat beside Kate.

And he meant what he said. Keith realized he didn't just like her. He loved her. Somehow, in all those missions and patrols….all those times they spent together…Keith had fallen in love with Kate…

For a second, Keith thought he felt something. Soon enough, he did….Kate's hand grasped his!

Her skin was starting to regain some color…warming up slowly but surely….

"Kate?"

Keith could hear her breathing, sounding better...she seemed less stiff and more like the life was starting to return…

Kate's eyes opened, revealing the luminous blue eyes Keith adored so much.

"Keith…" Kate smiled weakly.

"Kate!" Keith felt a flood of tears escape.

He didn't even bother hiding it or trying to wipe them away. Instead Keith let himself cry. He was just relieved to see his love alive again. He wanted to kiss her…to hug her and hold her in his arms, never let her go.

_Ring! Ring!_

That was the precise moment the styler started ringing again.

"So should I break the news to them? Or let you do the honors?" Keith deviously joked.

"Oh they're scared enough you idiot." Kate chuckled though still frail. "Just answer the call before Rhythmi kills you this time around…"

Keith answered the call, ready to give Rhythmi and all of Almia the happiest news ever received.

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"There's so many flowers in here, they'll have to send you back to the Union!"

Keith laughed as the nurse brought in another bouquet, marigolds. He accepted them and took the tag off as the nurse left them alone again.

"Whose it from this time?" Kate asked, she and her pachirisu admiring the flowers from nearby.

"Take a guess. _'Good luck get bettering. I is sorry for trouble. Tanks to you, I start new life with no evil.'_" Keith read the card.

"Heath's English seems to be getting better." Kate took the card and read it for herself.

"How can you tell?" Keith snickered.

"I can't believe I've gotten so many flowers! Even some from former Dim Sun members!" Kate exclaimed, gazing at the many cards and bouquets.

Keith loved seeing her so happy. What a smile. He actually brought her something too…but was still debating whether to take it out from under his chair. Buizel was getting curious about it as well but Keith managed to drag his attention away from it.

"Hey, a lot of people and pokemon are rootin for you to get better." Keith said.

"If it weren't for all the visits I've been getting, I'd think the flowers didn't mean a darn thing." Kate rolled her eyes.

"You haven't got a moment of peace around here, have you?" Keith playfully questioned.

_Beeeeeep!_

The phone. Kate set it on speakerphone.

"_You've got more visitors! Crawford and Luanna from Vien Town."_ The nurse cheerfully said.

"Send em on up!" Kate told her, hanging up. "There's never a dull moment around here. Thank goodness I leave this place soon!"

Her recovery had been a bit rocky but overall, smooth. Keith visited every day, though usually he wasn't alone. Lots of support from friends, family and ranger supporters were probably what healed Kate so fast. She'd be back in the Union base as Top Ranger 11 in no time. Heck…Hastings was so impatient he gave Kate Rank 10 in the hospital room right then and there.

"Whoa, I actually have to get going soon! Still got some quests to deal with." Keith said, looking at the time on his styler. "We've been crazy busy even with Dim Sun gone."

"Coming back soon?" Kate questioned.

"Of course!" Keith answered, about to get out of his chair.

"….hey Keith?"

He stopped.

"Yeah?"

Long pause. Kate looked nervous.

"Did….did you mean what you said?" Kate asked, a bit hesitant.

"About what?" Keith blinked, confused.

"Well…you know…" She was starting to blush. "That you…love me…"

Keith felt time stood still. His own face turned red for a moment, looking away from Kate. But…when he looked back at her, he knew what to do.

In one swift move, he grabbed the present from under the chair and presented it to her.

"A rose…" Kate gasped, amazed.

And with one more rapid movement, Keith gave a quick peck on the cheek to her. Kate turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Of course I love you." Keith gently answered. "I'll always love and protect you, Kate."

Kate was too stunned to speak. But she didn't need to. Keith already knew. She loved him too.

Familiar voices were heard from down the hallway. Time to get going!

"When you get out of here, I promise I'll take you somewhere amazing." Keith vowed, starting to leave. "Assuming…you'd…er…."

"I'd love that." Kate smiled, still a bit colored.

"I'll see you soon." Keith winked, opening the door.

He quickly greeted Luana and Crawford as he and buizel slipped away from the room. Keith hadn't even gotten to the elevator yet…and he already couldn't wait to see Kate again.

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**And happy ending! We've got a little romance in there, awwww! **

**Thank you so much for reading!**


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